Whale shark swimming in La Paz usually runs from late fall through April, but the opening date, closing date and any pause are set each year by Mexico's environmental authorities (SEMARNAT and CONANP), depending on how many sharks are in the bay. Local press (ZETA, 2025) reported mid-season suspensions in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Sightings are never guaranteed, and our La Paz whale shark tour can be canceled for weather or by government order, so check the tour page for current dates.

It can be, but plan for a long day, because our tour starts in La Paz and doesn't include the drive from Cabo. La Paz is about two hours by road each way (Visit Los Cabos). Our whale shark tour meets on the La Paz malecón at 11:45 AM and ends around 5 PM, so you'd get back to Cabo in the evening. Many travelers stay a night in La Paz instead, which also leaves room for the Espíritu Santo sea lion swim on another day.

Yes, during the months when swimming is allowed. Our Espíritu Santo sea lion tour takes children from 4 years old with an adult. Everyone gets a life vest, mask, fins and snorkel, and a certified bilingual guide stays in the water with the group, so kids don't need to be strong swimmers. Anyone who'd rather stay dry can watch from the boat. The ride to the island is about an hour each way, and the full trip runs about 7 hours, 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Usually not. In-water encounters at the Espíritu Santo colony pause during the sea lions' summer breeding season; our tour page lists swimming from September to May and viewing only from June to August. The exact closure dates are set each year by CONANP, Mexico's protected-areas agency (in 2024 it announced June through August 31, per ZETA). Our Espíritu Santo tour still runs in summer: you watch the sea lions from the boat and still get the island beaches and ceviche picnic.

Not with our tours, so plan two separate days. The sea lion tour runs from 10:30 AM to about 5:30 PM, and the whale shark tour meets at 11:45 AM, so the times overlap. Both start from the same spot on the La Paz malecón, Paseo Álvaro Obregón 1710 by the Seven Crown Hotel. The best time to do both is winter to spring, when whale shark season is open and sea lion swims (September to May) are allowed.

Most travelers prefer November through April, which also lines up with whale shark season in La Paz. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs May 15 to November 30 and peaks in late August (NOAA), and many travelers consider September the riskiest month. Storms and wind can close the port and cancel boat trips. Cancellation is free up to 72 hours before your tour, and on our Espíritu Santo tour a port closure means you choose a new date or a full refund.

Choose a short tour that starts near the marina and leave a buffer before all-aboard, since Cabo is a tender port and getting ashore takes time. The transparent boat to the Arch is a 45-minute ride from a dock in the marina (check in 30 minutes early). The camel ride by the sea lasts about 3 hours and has a meeting point on Blvd. Paseo de la Marina. Whale sharks in La Paz don't fit a port day.

Not on our tours. Every guest on our Cabo ATV tour and Baja UTV tour must be 18 or older, drivers and passengers alike. With a teen, look at the zipline and UTV combo (minimum age 8, though the UTV driver must be 18+ with a license), or let them ride their own bike on the desert and beach e-bike tour (8+) or the e-bike and camel combo (10+).

Pick the ATV to ride your own quad or share a double ATV with a partner; pick the UTV for a side-by-side with a steering wheel and seats, booked solo, for two, or as a family UTV for up to four. Our ATV tour and UTV tour both cross desert canyons in Tierra Sagrada, require guests to be 18+ with moderate fitness, and finish with a Mexican buffet and tequila tasting (21+). Expect desert dust: wear clothes that can get dirty, closed-toe shoes and sunglasses.

A few extras are paid on site, so read each tour page before you book. The tour price itself is paid 100% online at booking. The park entrance fee is included on our UTV tour, camel ride and both e-bike tours. On the UTV tour, vehicle insurance and the photo session are paid on site, and the zipline and UTV combo lists a separate UTV damage waiver. Cameras and GoPros aren't allowed on the camel ride or the ziplines; the camel team sells photos afterwards. Tips aren't included.

Yes, if you want a calm, easy outing rather than an adrenaline ride. Our camel ride by the sea is about 3 hours in total: a slow camel ride through the desert and by the ocean, a guide's talk on desert wildlife, a tequila and Damiana tasting (21+) and a Mexican buffet. Kids from 5 can join, and no fitness is needed. The tour page doesn't yet describe how the camels are cared for, so ask us before you book. For more action, try the e-bike and camel combo.

It's a good choice for a short, easy look at the Arch. Our transparent boat tour is a 45-minute ride for up to 11 guests in a boat with a see-through hull, so you watch fish below without snorkeling. It passes El Arco, a reef area and Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach, which you see from the water; the itinerary doesn't list a beach landing. It leaves from the Envatours Cabo dock in the marina. Hotel transport isn't included, and you should arrive 30 minutes early.

It depends on fitness more than age: the tour is rated medium difficulty, the minimum age is 8 and no upper age limit is listed. Our zipline and UTV combo takes about 4 hours and includes the Superman line (over 4,000 ft), rappelling, a commando bridge, a pendulum swing and a 25-minute guided UTV drive (drivers 18+ with a license). The tandem and upside-down lines are optional. Expecting mothers can't take part, and cameras aren't allowed. Weight limits aren't listed, so check with us first.

Booking ahead is safer, especially for the whale shark tour in high season, when The Cabo Sun (January 2026) reported waiting lists. You pay 100% online at booking, cancellation is free up to 72 hours before, and you don't need to know your hotel yet to book. Hotel pickup is included on most Cabo tours, but not on the transparent boat or the La Paz tours, which start from set meeting points. Changes within 24 hours of the start aren't accepted.